My husband and I love to support locals restaurants. This place is good, but need improvement and consistency. Their oysters are good, but served no cold enough, no ice bed! no left with sea water, what is a crime, and no lemon or mignonette. The steak frite is good, but not great! They give you steak knife, but they are not sharp! And I will not go with any of their desserts. read more

Eaten here 4 times now, we have enjoyed every meal. Cocktails are tasty and the wine list is good. Stick to small plates for a really delicious meal. Avocado fries, lamb meatballs, golden beets are my favorites. I have had really good large plates but they can be hit or (an expensive) miss. Service is good. read more

I'll start by saying that the staff @ Carpenter and Main are wonderful. The bartender Jason was very polite and accomodating. I wish I could be as complimentary of the food. As it was bland and over cooked. The drinks were marginal at best. A trip in for 2 of us which consisted of two burgers and 4 drinks (not from there cocktail selection) and resulted in an $80.00 bill (not including tip) . ... read more

Our favorite local place, mostly due to the quality of the service. The servers are all hard-working, nice folks who do their best to be patient and attentive. The food is consistently good, and the atmosphere cozy and nice. It CAN be loud, which we don't enjoy, but although perhaps the acoustics could be improved, it's really a problem of very loud and inconsiderate diners who adore the sound of their own voices - a total peeve of mine, certainly NOT unique to C&M. I would prefer a slightly less eclectic menu. The chef definitely tries, and the food is generally well-prepared. I'd just like some less fancy/eclectic selections. The menu is well-marked for gf choices, which I appreciate. read more

We ate here tonight on our way back from a dartmouth football game. We both went to college here in the 80s and had a kid play football here in the 2010s. My folks have lived here since 1988...you get the picture. We have been here off and on for decades. We opted for the casual no reservations part of the restaurant. The fancier part is good but frankly we have been happier with the menu at this front of the house area. Tonights dinner blew us away. We could barely figure out which small plates to order they all were so intriguing. It almost helped...sitting down at 8:30pm on a saturday..that two of our top choices were sold out. Always a good sign. We ended up going with five small plates for dinner. The roasted oysters, duck salad, and cauliflower salad came first. Delectable each and every one. Next came calamari, short rib bruschetta, and tater tots ( okay just that made six but my husband insisted on tater tots and i ate a few. Yummy). We each had a half bottle of red and white, as we divide that way. Both worked well with our tasty bites. So there you go. Something for everyone. Dont miss this place! Except for the once a month exceptional osteria chiara pop up restaurant, there is no better place to dine in norwich or hanover. We ate at pine at the hanover inn the night before and it was very very good. But carpenter and main is better. Trust me. read more

My wife and I finally tried out C+M and enjoyed it very much. The service from Dan and Jason were excellent. Wines were good. The menu is a bit of a free-for-all but everything was fresh. Loved the salads and the steak frites. Sorbets were also a wonderful touch. On first glance we'd suggest sticking with the bistro - the dining room feels a bit formal. read more

My absolute favorite restaurant in Hanover area. Lots of choices on the menu. I feel it is the best bar, drinks are very well made.

Ate here again a few days ago. Meal was very pleasant. Food very good. Service OK (the clone from Cheers wasn't there) We were overflow and were seated in the dining room which is extremely pleasant - real tablecloths (getting rarer by the year!) and good martini and the house wine was nice. Obviously I like this place! read more

I took my boyfriend here for a little date night. We were seated right away (though we had made a reservation) and our server was very nice and helpful. We asked her for some suggestions and she steered us toward a very nice meal. I got the gnocchi and my boyfriend got the pepper steak. Both were great! The gnocchi practically melts in your mouth and the steak with whatever sauce it came with was delicious. The cocktails we got were also both lovely. To finish off our meal, we shared the sundae. YUM! Yes it's a bit pricey, but we knew that going in to it. We wanted to treat ourselves. It was worth it. Though I will say, the atmosphere was a bit louder than would have liked. read more

Returned for a visit after six or seven years away. The morsel and appetizer options were particularly enticing. A lot of interesting options. We split four and were happy with each. I ordered the steak frites which was a little bland for my taste but finished with an excellent banana split dessert. Overall the group I was with were happy with the meal. read more

Great atmosphere, drinks, & food. My boyfriend & I sat in a tiny two-person booth. We started with oysters & meatballs, which were amazing. We then had the risotto & trout, which was also great. We finished with the Mexican chocolate ice cream, which, too, rocked. Our waitress was also extremely friendly and eager to please. read more

Here in the upper valley Carpenter & Main is definitely our one fine restaurant. Bruce MacLeod has done a great job since taking over from Peter Ireland and I've never been disappointed with the food. Keep an eye out for special wine-tasting dinners as they are quite a treat (and they don't skimp on the wine!) They have a full bar, and the tavern room is just as good as the more formal dining rooms. They also have a great staff. read more

This was not my first visit and it will not be my last. I love the delicious dishes that are served here. I have never been disappointed with the food. The service is excellent. I look forward to each and every visit. This is definitely our family's restaurant of choice for special occasions. read more

After growing up in Seattle, living in Los Angeles and San Francisco for more than 20 years, and eating around the world, Carpenter & Main was a complete disappointment. From the utterly slow service (it felt like everyone was on Valium) to the absence of vodka martinis on the menu (they were out of Absolute Citron, but, thankfully, they had Grey Goose). The steak frites was offensive! The steak looked boiled with zero char, sear or anything remotely brown. The frites seemed like yesterday's leftovers reheated in the microwave and bland. My pork belly, most importantly, was awful...just plain awful. Not sure where they picked that piece of meat up, but it tasted like it was off the barn floor. The palpable attitude of the Dartmouth's 'elite' dining there was a complete turnoff. And the fact that four patrons could actually occupy all of the bar seating was annoying. Really!? For the last four years I have listened to everyone rave about C&M...at least I tried it. I will certainly not return. My question: Have any of these so-called foodies ever eaten outside of the Upper Valley? New York--it's not that far away. read more

I had such high hopes for this place after a recommendation from someone. We sat in the bistro section for dinner. No one in our party of 5 enjoyed their entrees. Two of us ordered the Thurs special (bouillabaisse) which was awful. It was so bland, I was astonished that it would be served here - the saffron broth sounded great but it had absolutely no flavor. Mentioned it to the waitress and she said "it used to be too salty" and offered nothing to try to make the situation better, not what I would expect at a restaurant trying to be this upscale but clearly falls short. And why keep the dish on the menu that the chef clearly can't get right? Two others ordered the burger - a plain meat patty that had no seasoning whatsoever and nothing else in the burger. The fries were fantastic however. The creme brûlée was just ok, the custard too runny and parts of the sugar coating not fully crystalized. The ice cream sundae came highly recommended by staff for being homemade but the ice cream tasted old and freezer burned. The service was slightly better than most upper valley restaurants but on the slow side. For the ridiculously priced food and quality we received, will definitely NOT be returning. Try Stella's in Lyme instead. Fantastic food and reasonably priced. read more

Went for my birthday, been meaning to try for awhile. Really nice people and space. Good concept too of unique tapas style dishes (in an area where all restaurants serve practically the same food)...but horrible execution, everything we tried was just bad and really salty. Things like pork sliders, calamari and corn on the cob were bad even, which I honestly didn't know was possible. read more

We had never been to C&M before and were very happy to make a last minute reservation on a Saturday night. I requested a larger table having read there is a small wall booth. We were offered the booth because we wanted to sit in the main dining room. Guess the reservation note wasn't passed on. Then we were offered tables in the pub area. We chose a window table which worked out nicely. The menu was a selection of small plates (Tapas) and several regular meal entrees. A little confusing at first, but the waiter was very helpful. I ordered Scallops (BLT) and Tata tots! The scallops were grilled, served on a fried green tomatoe with lettuce and a tomatoe relish-mixture with two additional fried green tomatoes on the side. The Tata Tots were not at all what you remember from your childhood. They were crispy and fresh. It was a lovely little meal. My partner ordered the entree burger on an English muffin and fries. We chose a Malbec wine. The food was DELICIOUS! The price incredibly readonable for upscale dining. (If you remember the fried tomatoes Lander's Restsurant served, these are even better). We'll return! read more

This is a quaint New England place whose dining room was way too noisy. This was supposed to be my birthday dinner, and it was a flop. The flatbread appetizer was more flat bread than topping; disappointing. When the meals arrived they were presented in such a way I felt like I was it any two-bit restaurant and although I don't know this for sure... the potatoes looked and tasted like they were from a box. I would not try this restaurant again as the flavors were dull and lackluster, the presentation of the food was substandard, the ambience was too noisy, and the prices way too much. read more

I haven't been in the upper valley long enough to have an opinion that means squat, but Carpenter & Main is my current favorite restaurant in the area. I consider my palate reasonably discerning. This place was amazing. Never in my life have I seen such a perfectly cooked hamburger patty - equally pink in the center and at the edge. How is that possible? Delicious. More importantly for me, C&M serves chicken livers. Anyone with the guts to serve offal has my heart, no pun intended. Please someone tell me there are more offal-serving spots in the upper valley. I digress. My dad said his wild rice was the best wild rice he ever put in his mouth, and the almondine trout was superb as well. My only thumbs down would be the service. Our waiter wasn't Mr. Personality, but I think he was just worn down. I can't give less than 5 stars even with sub-par service. The food was that good. I'll be back. read more

Went on a Saturday night (with a reservation) based on a recommendation from a friend. After sitting at our table in the dining room for 20 minutes without anyone coming by even to take a drink order (and watching our waiter take an order from a group seated after us), we left. The dining room was about half full, so it didn't seem overwhelmingly busy. Don't know what the food is like, but based on this initial experience, we're unlikely to return. read more

Pleasant dining experience evening of 4/8/17 after we 3 attended 2 day class at King Arthur. Service by our waiter , Andrew, was exemplary--fantastically pleasant individual. Our dinners were all excellent, right thru desserts. Would definitely dine here again! NB, Endicott NY read more

I don't recommend this restaurant anymore. The quality has really gone downhill. Ingredients are bad, execution is horrible. Their oily and fried dishes taste overtly rancid. Fried dishes are either undercooked or burnt. Meat quality is questionable. Sad. read more

For the best food and drinks in the Upper Valley go to Carpenter and Main. Chef Bruce and Ian are top notch and both are super passionate about what they do. These are the guys you want in your kitchen making your food and being creative with high quality local ingredients. And then there's Max and the bar--what more can I say? Go to C&M for a truly great and relaxed dining experience. read more

They have really tasty food but small portions (and I don't mean the small bites). The restaurant can get loud if you sit in the bar area or the area by the door. The side rooms are quieter and they also offer intimate nooks for those looking for something more private. Cocktails are strong and unique. read more

Menu has some creative options, and the food is high quality and well-prepared. Staff is really friendly and accommodating. Free snacks at the bar when you go for cocktails :) A little pricey however. read more

The service was good and the server was quite knowledgeable. A nice amuse bouche was provided and they try hard to source from local farms which is good. A group of 4 of us had the chicken, rabbit, soup, salad and crab and leek filled pasta. The first 4 things were all very well done but unfortunately the crab pasta that I got was undercooked (the pasta was hard) and it was riddled with crab shells. Because of this I wouldn't personally go back but I get the impression that this is one of the nicer places to eat in the area and would probably recommend it. read more

Absolutely fantastic. Out of town visitor to Norwich. Service was extremely friendly and prompt and the gruyere cheese gnocchi was probably the best gnocchi I've ever had. Cheese stick puffs and chicken under a brick were also fantastic read more

I adore the burger at Carpenter & Main. Super nice servers and bartenders too... and great bar snacks! Oh and the sundae for dessert is incredible. I wish I still lived in Hanover and could go here ever week! read more

Excellent excellent food and a great wine selection. Great service - perfect: not intrusive but kept up with what we needed. Had the gnocchi with a sage butter sauce, the anchovy flatbread, the calamari, and the chocolate trio for dessert. I love little desserts with lots of different things to try! My husband had the steak au poivre, which was absolutely perfect. The style of the food is nouveau cuisine, so if you're looking for great heaps of food, this is not the place for you. It's real French cooking, and you leave satisfied without having to be rolled to your car by a team of Umpa Lumpas. Haven't been here for years, but it's still doing a very brisk trade (full on Thursday night). read more

C&M has all the pretense of being a high-end enterprise but without any of the actual talent. Too much attention is placed on elaborate presentation with too little attention placed on ingredients or taste. The last few meals here have been terrible (and over-priced). The staff are largely, and seemingly intentionally, lethargic. Overall C&M is not very good diner food wrapped in an expensive bow. read more

Not entirely sure what happened with my meal, given the positive reviews on here, but my wife and I had the burger and it was terrible. Essentially and ball of mince, on a dry English muffin. I realize that the burger is hardly much more complex, but there was no lettuce, tomato etc.. Dreadful. The starters were not up to much either. Nice inside though, service was good (very pleasant), and the glass of Malbec was ok, but the food...below par. Sounds like I'm not the only one re the burger (see below). Also agree with reviewers comments on the fries. read more

My husband and I had Valentines dinner there last night and it was the worst dining experience we have ever had (we're in our 50's). The service was excellent and the food was good (although overpriced for what we received).We dressed appropriately for a "fine dining" restaurant, shirt, tie, and jacket, nice slacks and blouse. We had reservations and sat in the small dining room. About 15 minutes later a family of 5 sat next to us. There were 2 teenagers and a boy about 10. They were in jeans and tee shirts and had been skiing earlier. Their conversation was so loud we heard everything they had done earlier. They were loud and obnoxious and we could barely hear ourselves talk. Then shortly after they were seated a couple sat down at the next table. They were in jeans too along with giant Michelin tire jackets hung on the backs of their chairs and a baseball cap. Our waiter was excellent, but was so busy running around tending to this large demanding family that we were not of much concern. At one point the boy was laying half on the table with his feet on the chair. We had planned this dinner and were anticipating a romantic quiet meal. Instead we paid almost $300 dollars and felt like we had just been to The Olive Garden. I guess we should have stayed in our sweat pants and ordered Chinese take out. We won't go back. read more

Ok, so Carpenter & Main wins the snobbiest restaurant award ever! 2 recent visits have left us less than impressed. 2 weeks ago the service was so poor we almost walked out mid meal. This past week we found ourselves there again after an in town event. Dinner was just ok---burgers were way overcooked---service was ok---certainly better than 2 weeks ago. BUT HERE IT GOES ---GET READY FOR THE PUNCHLINE! Dessert menus come---waiter is asked about ice cream flavors which he points out are all homeade---he rattles off the choices. When my friend asks for an ice cream sundae with (can't remember flavor he chose) he WAS REFUSED A SUNDAE WITH ANY OTHER FLAVOR THAN VANILLA---AS PER CHEF. Of course we ordered nothing and asked for the check. Are you kidding me???---not sure why a chef/ owner would think his fidelity to what he perceives as haute cuisine trumps a customers choice of AN ICE CREAM FLAVOR. I hope all my friends and family don't ever convince me to walk through the doors of Carpenter and Main again. read more